[OPEN] NOVEMBER CATCHALL.

[rerevale]

WHO: Momo and you!
WHERE: All around.
WHEN: Throughout the month of November!
WHAT: Quests, mirrors, miscellanies.
WARNINGS: None atm— I'll update if there's anything notable!



QUEST 32 : THE PLAGUE.

a.

[ He's sick.

He knows what this is, because he's pushed through it before: nausea, headaches, aching joints, pressure behind his ears. When he breathes through his mouth, he tastes that tar-thick illness sitting at the back of his throat. When he talks, he can feel how his voice wants to break between each syllable.

It's bad. But it's not unbearable.

It is, however, enough of a physical burden that someone who meets up with him on the regular might realize that he hasn't rang in a while— that, or someone who talks to him routinely might notice that he cuts conversations a bit faster than usual. He's missing from the streets in the same way that someone who pays enough attention might notice that their local grocery store's changed their looping smooth jazz soundtrack to elevator music; his absence is subtle, and largely insignificant.

Still, he's around. At home, he's in his room with a book he'd pilfered from the library, lying on his side on the bed. If anyone comes knocking, he won't realize until they're standing next to him, bedside— he'll blink and sit up, eyes slightly unfocused before he laughs and looks embarrassed. ]

Sorry, sorry— ahh, you can't sneak up on idols when they're not camera-ready...!

[ If he's out and about, he'll be curiously devoid of emotion until he spots someone he knows. The transition from neutral to cheerful takes a second, but he gets there. A little rusty, a little creaky. ]

...Hey! Look at all this snow! It feels super nice, huh...!

[ Maybe because he's burning up??? Jesus, Momo. ]


b.

[ Or maybe your character's the one that's sick, and Momo's the one that's plodding over for a gift delivery or some soup delivery. Either way, he's here and at your doorstep, hands full and brows downturned. ]

Go lie down, okay? Let Momo-chan take care of things today, no sweat.


MIRROR, MIRROR.

[ Here's what Mirror Momo is: he's an asshole. But here's what Mirror Momo isn't: he's not a liar.

Maybe you're over for a house visit, or maybe you've caught Momo doing his laundry outside, or maybe you've caught Momo looking for food to eat. Either way, at some point, that stupid mirror finds its way into the conversation in an intrusive way: whether it be through its sudden appearance, or because Momo's stuffed it into the front pocket of his sweatshirt in an effort to keep it from spooking him.

Mirror Momo talks a lot of shit. Throughout, he's terminally upbeat. Always, always smiling.

Listen closely, and you'll probably hear a lot of unflattering truths about 'Momose Sunohara'. Oops. ]



(( catchall for November! ♥ feel free to PM me or to shoot me a PP via Plurk (deuil) for anything more specific. if you're hitting up the mirror portion of the log, i'll write up whatever Mirror Momo is saying at that point in time— feel free to leave a blank toplevel and i can hit you up with an insecurity that Momo's nursing! ))

Comments

[rerevale]

[ Hmm.

Sounds fake. ]

Mmmhmm...? Mmhmm...?

[ To the tune of "I hear you but I think it's Bullshit". ]

Ahh, you're such a contrarian about this, and only this... if Yuki said anything like that about me, I'd go into hiding and never come out. [ not an exaggeration. ] Come on, Sasuke-san. Let's practice saying nice things about Naruto-san, while you can!! You can pretend I'm him...!

[ As if he looks anything like Naruto, which he doesn't. A moment passes where Momo thinks very deeply about how best to imitate a man he doesn't know with the meager details he has, but he makes an attempt. ]

"Yo, Sasuke... what up! Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the way... but now I'm here to hang, ya dig?"

[ please crit momo on his hmd ]

[ninjanature]

[Honestly? He did not think any impersonation of Naruto could be worse than actual Naruto. He didn't think any impersonation could be this bad. It's no fault of Momo, he knows this, not when Momo has never met Naruto.

But it's bad.

He doesn't know whether... to defend his friend's honor or laugh about how fitting it is for said honor to be sullied. Reaching back, Sasuke grabs a fist full of the blanket and pulls it off, quickly dumping it over the top of Momo's head so he a) won't have to show Momo any kind of amused smile, and b) won't be able to clearly hear any more awful, awful imitations of Naruto.]

I've already dealt with an imposter usuratonkachi once before. I can see another a mile away. Impersonating a Hokage is a high offense. I won't hesitate to punish you.

[rerevale]

[ Momo's about to unleash another bad Naruto impression when the blanket collides with his stupid face; yet again, he makes an entirely undignified sound under the obstruction, a combination wahh-augh.

He's only silent for a half-second, as he mulls over his next move. Mercifully (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at things), Momo's quick on his feet. ]

Hohhh? Really? [ Dramatically, as he rummages under that blanket and peeks out, half his face still covered. He does that thing that idols do— you know that Thing, big owl-eyes peering from between mussed bangs, head tipped just so, as if he's just waking up. ] Could you really punish me...?

[ This is where the studio audience would explode in a burst of high-pitched "Momo-kun ♥"s, but Momo is barking up the wrong fucking tree. ]

[ninjanature]

Without mercy.

[It wouldn't simply be about being law-abiding, about legality. It would be about the endangerment of his one and only friend. Harm befalling Boruto and Himawari's father, Hinata's husband.

Strong than an Uchiha's love is their anger. His hands are already dirty. He would have no qualms doing what's necessary to ensure the protection of Naruto and Naruto's family, his own family, and the village.

Even ill and feverish, the look is in his single dark eye. He isn't afraid, or sympathetic, or compassionate when the people he cares about are in danger. Perhaps this is more telling than his tsundere ranting about Naruto. It's clear he can follow the ends justifying the means.]

Even for Momo, the idol who would be terribly missed.

[rerevale]

[ The blanket slips off of his head, pools on his lap. Without the fabric in his eyes and without deferring to that perfected upcast gaze through his bangs, Momo gets a clear look at the steady, unfaltering promise in Sasuke's mismatched eyes. No pretenses, no posturing.

This man really would kill him, if he had to.

There's something frightening about that, really. Momo's only met one other person in his life who would have done the same, but he wasn't afraid of Tsukumo Ryou as much as he was angry at him (and also sympathetic, because Momo will be Momo); there's a difference between a threat born out of a grudge and a threat born out of duty and loyalty.

Momo feels his shoulders tense, but he slowly eases back into a languid smile. ]

—You really are a ninja, huh? [ Sasuke literally made fucking shadow clones and parkoured out of a well, but this is what really drives it home??? ok momo ] Don't worry, though! I won't make you do anything like that.

[ninjanature]

[Momo is a fucking idiot, but he's a cute fucking idiot. It's fine.]

I hope not. I would disappoint many people [As if he hasn't disappointed so many in his life already.] by getting rid of one of their favorite idol pairs.

[Carefully, he lifts the (wow!) empty bowl up and settles it out of the way to the side. He steals, not even stealthily, the blanket back from Momo and brings it up around his shoulders.]

I'm going to try to sleep, and it's going to be right here. I won't move, even if you ask. [It's a fair warning. He won't budge. He's stubborn. Pointedly, he twists and effectively burrows down into the nest of cloth with the blanket.] Are you staying?

[At least Momo isn't plagued by his bare chest any longer.]

[rerevale]

[ !!! His shitty minestrone is gone...! Sasuke ate all of the momostrone, and Momo perks right back up as he pushes the bowl aside to give Sasuke more room to be a big, handsome blob. The disclaimer about not budging is what finally gets Momo to relax fully, though. ]

Ahaha! Now I get it— you really are a little brother. [ "I'm not moving" is such a quintessential little brother tactic. ] Ahh, if only you were a little smaller and less incredibly toned and easier to carry...

[ What a tragedy!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, he reaches and puts his hand on Sasuke's hair. ]

But, yeah— I'm sticking around. There's nothing worse than waking up to an empty house when you're sick. [ It sucks, it's lonely, and everything feels 50% worse than it really is, from his experience. ] I'll hold the fort, Sasuke-san! You just concentrate on sleeping.

[ Says Momo, who will definitely get a glimpse of Sasuke's sleeping face and have an existential crisis about it. ]

[ninjanature]

Shut up.

[At least it's given light-heartedly and sickly, not with the ire of a bitter, angry Uchiha. Besides, Momo isn't wrong. He is a little brother--or was, for a long time. He hasn't forgotten how to be a Little Brother.

The idea of Momo trying to carry him, though... Godspeed. Maybe one day, they will have an age-reversal event, and Momo's dreams will come true. Hopefully not.] Try to stay out of trouble. [Even if there's nothing in the house to get into.

Sasuke doesn't trust that Momo lacks enough imagination and wherewithal to try something.] I won't be asleep long. [Rest in peace, Momose. Sasuke's face already grows ten times softer when he finally settles and closes his eyes. He actually looks younger when he isn't plagued by resting bitch face.

This is the face Sakura has been able to see a whole lot more than anyone else. Enjoy.]

If you're trying to be the big brother now, [He doesn't open his eyes. He was quiet for so long, he might even scare Momo who may have thought he was asleep.] you're the one who has to sing the lullabies.

dont read this tag because it's extremely gay

[rerevale]

[ The day Momo meets little Sasuke is the day that Momo dies for real, so maybe that day should come sooner rather than later.

Sasuke closes his eyes to smooth the harsh lines of his alertness, and Momo, in kind, marvels at the mystery of modern ikemens. He holds his breath for a few seconds, as if an errant exhale could disturb whatever shallow 'sleep' his ninja companion could've fallen into; he only allows himself to ease back into his hind-brain functions once he sees a bit of Yuki in the way Sasuke relaxes.

(it'd been like this way back when, too. shoulderblades to rough tatami in a dingy single-room apartment, sleeping a careful yard away from 'yuki-san' whose austerity was still something momo had to navigate with care.

momo misses yuki terribly— from the quiet set of his mouth to the way he'd ask for 5 more minutes that always turned into 15.)

When Sasuke opens his mouth, Momo almost does jump out of his fucking skin. The request registers slowly, filtered through the hand he instinctively clamps over his mouth, but once it hits? Jesus. It's like Sasuke knows exactly what to say to make Momo melt a little where he's sitting. ]

Didn't you just tell me to shut up? [ Little brothers, man. He can't help but laugh as he scoots closer to Sasuke's blanket nest and wracks his mind for a song to sing. What good is an idol who doesn't have an expansive repertoire, after all? ] —Go to sleep, nii-san.

[ You already have a big brother, dingus; Momo can sing and still occupy the little brother slot.

The song he ultimately chooses is an unconventional lullaby. It isn't a lullaby at all, actually— it's a song about someone taking the last train home after he says goodbye to the person he cares for. Sappy and slow and just relevant enough that Momo hopes Sasuke at least picks up on the chorus before he actually gets some shuteye. It won't be the end of the world if he doesn't, though.

"even apart, even with distance, everything i know will eventually come back to you;
and each and every one of these patchwork dreams you dream can find a way to come true.
so, until then,
i hope you sleep, with nothing to make you falter." ]